Home -> FAQ -> Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about HIV/AIDS -> Can I become infected with HIV by shaking hands with, kissing, eating the same food as, or being sneezed or coughed on by someone who has HIV? Can I get HIV from a toilet seat? Or by being bitten by an infected mosquito? Or from a swimming pool?

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Can I become infected with HIV by shaking hands with, kissing, eating the same food as, or being sneezed or coughed on by someone who has HIV? Can I get HIV from a toilet seat? Or by being bitten by an infected mosquito? Or from a swimming pool?

Answer

No. This is because HIV is not an airborne, water-borne or food-borne virus. HIV can be passed from one person to another only when people exchange blood or sexual fluids (like semen or vaginal secretions). HIV cannot survive for very long outside of the human body. So you can't get HIV by having ordinary social contact with an infected person.